It wasn't meant to be you

Chapter twenty-one

Five weeks and five days, we just had two days more. Once again I visited her in the hospital

"Hey, beautiful" I smiled at her, and I still waited for her to smile back, I wished I could see her gorgeous smile again, hear her soft voice...

"It's five weeks and five days now" I held back my tears as hard as I could and smiled at her "I need you to do me a favor Emma, it's a really big one" I paused "I need you to wake up, wake up for me please, if you don't wake up in two more days, the chances of you waking up are lower, so much lower, and I will still be with you but the people here aren't so sure. They could take you away, and I need you here, I need you to come to me" my voice was breaking and tears were running down my face, and the same thoughts that I always had came through my mind, if she didn't wake up, if they disconnected her, if she stayed like that for years, would her being gone be less suffering than never having known? I didn't know, and I didn't want to know either, if there was a chance that she could wake up then I would wait, I would wait forever for her. And maybe I was wrong about her, but there were always maybes, in everything you do, and we never realize it, and I would rather know there's a chance, know that I tried, than never to have tried at all.

Five weeks and six days, she just refused to wake up, it's like she didn't want to. Ay this point I didn't know what I felt, I was angry, sad, frustrated, what I knew for sure is that I needed her to wake up, I said it a million times: I need her here, I need here to wake up. This time, she only had one day left, just one day, to come back from a coma.

Six weeks, six weeks, I didn't dare to go to the hospital, her parents could be there, waiting to tell me some news maybe. I went and just as I predicted, her parents were there.

"Mr. Smith, Mrs. Smith" I greeted "good morning"

"Good morning Chris" her mom responded

"But I'm afraid it's not such a good morning, as you very well know it is the sixth week of her coma, and he might not wake up after that, having her here is way to much. She should stop her suffering." He didn't even shed a tear, he was serious as hell and looked at me with a stern face, as if he wasn't just telling me that he wanted her daughter to die because it was too expensive. I couldn't believe it.

"No"

"Excuse me?" Her father looked at me with an offended tone, I didn't give a crap if he thought I was being disrespectful, I wasn't going to let her go.

"I said: no" I replied firmly "How can you possibly be so shallow? She is your daughter for God's sake! Your only daughter might I add, and she is not dead yet, she could wake up, at least give her a chance! How can you not even cry? Seeing your daughter like that, in a coma, and not even giving her a chance to wake up. Unbelievable!" Her mother was crying, she was silently sobbing before but now it was a full on cry, I could see she didn't want her to go either, it infuriated me that she didn't even try to stop him. I still knew that he was being stern to hide the pain, I had done that myself, not to her though, never to her. I understood a part of them somehow, they didn't want to feel that pain anymore, that uncertainty, and I felt that too, but giving up on her? Especially this early on... It made me furious.

Six weeks and one day, eventually he had agreed to give me three more weeks, and even though they agreed to give me time, they were giving her time.

"Heyyy" I told her, no answer.

"What do you say we read a few more chapters? Where were we? Oh, yes. Chapter three" this time I read her four chapters, I hoped that she would wake up before I finished the book, and that we could finish it together. Her and me, us.

Six weeks and five days. It was the same, went to the hospital, talked to her for a while, read one chapter and Susan did her daily stretches.

Seven weeks and one day. I was getting more and more worried every day that passed, but I always visited her and talked to her and the doctors for news. I read two chapters today.  Told her I missed her, cried a little and slept a while with her. The said goodnight and went home.

Seven weeks and four days.

"Good afternoon, princess. How we doing today? I missed you" I sat down next to her and felt -like I had so may times before- the emptiness of no answer. Of waiting and just hearing the silence instead of the voice of the girl I loved. I read her two more chapters and it got really late so I started leaving. I kissed her on the forehead before saying goodbye and leaving. Just then, I heard something behind me, it was coming from the room, it was a weak and low voice.

"Chris?"